Heysham’s number one Sinatra fan meets legend’s daughter

Heysham student Laura Roper became a big fan of Frank Sinatra just two years ago, little realising that a message out of the blue would see her meeting the legend’s famous daughter Nancy in person.

Nancy has been over here from America to support special celebrations, including a spectacular Palladium show, to mark the centenary of her singer and actor father’s birth.

Frank Sinatra

She asked to meet a handful of her father’s fans who are members of the Frank Sinatra Family Forum, which Nancy runs from her office in the States.

It was a memorable occasion for Laura, 17, who is reading animal studies at Lancaster and Morecambe College, and one she says she will always remember.

It was through watching her parents’ collection of old musicals, such as On The Town and Anchors Aweigh, that Laura’s fascination with Sinatra began.

And in just two years she has amassed more than 200 Sinatra recordings on her mobile phone and an impressive collection of CDs and even vinyl records. “I think I have almost everything he ever did in one form or another,” Laura said.

“I also have a lot of his films, including ones from the 1940s.”

She confessed her favourite Sinatra film was probably Guys and Dolls.

A regular contributor to the forum, Laura has exchanged many messages with Nancy, who takes a personal interest in the fans, even finding the time to congratulate Laura on her performance in GCSE exams.